GENEVA / RUSSIA GEORGIA TALKS

Negotiators in Geneva make meager progress in the tenth round of negotiations since the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia. UNTV

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:40
• Production Date: 30 March 2010
• Asset Language: Original
• Subject Topical: POLITICAL CONDITIONS; POLITICAL MOVEMENTS
• Geographic Subject: GEORGIA; RUSSIAN FEDERATION
• MAMS Id: U100330a

Description

STORY: GENEVA / RUSSIA - GEORGIA TALKS
TRT: 1.40
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: RUSSIAN / ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 30 MARCH 2010, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, Conference room
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Girogi Bokeria, first deputy foreign minister, Georgia:
“I can't say they are moving forward so far based on the last two meetings I am afraid that is something that is not a proper description of the process and I think the fundamental problem is that the good efforts and achievements of the incident prevention mechanism is not respected on the eastern front of occupation by the Tshinkvali regime and the Russian forces.”
3. Cutaway, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Grigory Karasin, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Russian Federation:
“From time to time you hear tough exchanges of views but the important point is that despite the complications and despite the emotional outbursts the Geneva discussions are still working.”
5. Cutaway, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE (French) Pierre Morel, Special Representaive of the European Union:
“Against the background of a relatively calm and stable general situation, it was noted that tensions continue to exist. It was highlighted that provocative actions and rhetorics are not helpful for the ongoing efforts to stabilize the situation on the ground and should therefore be avoided.”
7. Wide shot, conference room

Storyline

The first deputy foreign minister of Georgia, Giorgi Bokeria, has said that talks between Russia and Georgia aimed at bringing stability to the region after war in August 2008 are not moving forward.

He was speaking to journalists at the end of the 10th session of talks in Geneva under the auspices of the United Nations, European Union and the OSCE.

Bokeria said that South Ossetian and Russian forces were not respecting the mechanism aimed at preventing and responding to incidents, with the detention of local residents who inadvertently crossed the demarcation line between South Ossetia and Russia.

One of the co-chairs Pierre Morel, while acknowledging that the talks had made no significant breakthroughs said they were making progress, despite continuing tensions.

Referring to the recent report on Georgian TV of a fake Russian invasion, the co-chairs said that such provocative actions and rhetoric were not helpful for bringing about stability and should be avoided.

A view shared by the head of the Russian delegation, Grigory Karasin, who in a more upbeat assessement of the talks said that despite complications and emotional outbursts, they were still working.